Lionel Messi: Ten things you didn’t know about the Barcelona magician
Here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about Lionel Messi:
* Messi’s first football club, when he was just five years old, was Grandoli, coached by his father Jorge. Then he moved to Newells Oldboys in Rosario. The club lost just one match in four-year period when Messi was with them. Explains how much of a super-talent he was since birth. Many of his early football days videos show how he used to toy with defenders which stays true till date.
* At the age of just 10, the Argentine was diagnosed with a growth-hormone deficiency for which he took injections but the expenses increased gradually. Football Club Barcelona decided to pay for his expenses provided he would join Barca and train in their academy. But another top club in Argentina Riverplate had interests in signing the dazzling youngster although the only problem was that they couldn’t afford the $ 900 expenses per month for his treatment. This allowed Barca to sign him up and the rest is history.
* Carles Rexach, then the Sporting Director of Barcelona was so keen to sign Messi that even though there was no paper around, Messi’s first contract with the Spanish giants was signed on a napkin. The contract covered all his medical bills and a house in Barcelona so that they can move immediately.
* In 2004, Messi was asked to play for the Spanish under-20 team, having lived in the country since he was 13 years old. Messi turned down the offer and instead turned up for his side a year later and won them the FIFA Youth Championship. Messi in one of his interviews said he was clear as to what he felt for Argentina. I would never have played for Spain, he said.
* Messi had already made his mark in the Barcelona unit by scoring his first goal for the Catalans after Ronaldinho, someone Messi admired a lot, provided an assist against Albacete. Messi was ready to make his dreams come true by playing for the Argentina team when he was 18. Coming on after 65 mins in his debut match for his country Messi was sent off after just 44 seconds to a red card and left the field in tears.
* In what is said to be Leo Messi’s best goal ever, the Argentinian received the ball in his own half, beat four defenders and the goalkeeper before chipping over another defender. It came against Getafe in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. The ball was magically attached to his feet, took on each defender that came in his way and finished making it look so easy. The whole ground chanted ” Messi…Messi” and gave the little magician a standing ovation. The goal was similar to a goal scored by Maradona and even Messi dedicated it to him.
* Messi recieved the FIFA Ballon d’or nominations in 2008, making him the youngest player to be nominated for the prestigious award as he was just 21. Although he couldn’t win it that year, Messi made it up for the disappointment in the next 4 consecutive years.
* Messi in 2007 established the Leo Messi Foundation which supports children and is a charity supporting access to education and health care for vulnerable children. In 2010 he was made UNICEF’s goodwill ambassador. Messi is supported by Barcelona in the UNICEF Campaigns.
* Lionel Messi won the 2009 Ballon d’or ahead of his greatest rival Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi got 473 out of 480 votes that year.
* Messi has a signature goal celebration – pointing fingers towards the sky with raised arms. The gesture is to pay tribute and thank his Grandma – one of the reasons he started playing football. He was very close to her and lost her when he was just 10. Messi believes she is always watching him from above.
(Compiled by Karan Dewan)
